


A Walk Down Memory Lane

by LexLemon



Category: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Genre: F/F, I just want them to be happy again, Memory Loss, Second Chances, These two were exes in the movie and you can’t tell me otherwise, Villain Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 15:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20566913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon
Summary: Mother Ginger may be back where she belongs, but there’s still something missing in her life. She could be breaking the rules, but she’ll do anything to set things right.





	A Walk Down Memory Lane

Mother Ginger pried open the door to her palace, pulling back the cranberry-colored tent flap for a peek inside. She stared out into the empty performing space before her, where there was nothing but a dim shine of red and orange light coming down from the walls.

Ginger moved her head from left to right then left again and exhaled when she found that there was no one else in sight. The Polichinelles were probably off performing somewhere in the land, providing their people with joy and amusement. Ginger couldn't blame them for doing so. It was their job, after all. It was better that they weren't at the palace anyway. Ginger was embarking on a secret mission that no one could know about just yet. First, she had to conquer it alone.

Ginger made her way into the palace and moved towards the circular platform placed on the dirt floor. She stepped onto it and felt herself rise up, her hand gracing the metal pole attached to the platform as it spun in a circle. Once it reached the top, the platform attached itself to the floor, providing Ginger with a steady crossing into her chambers.

She moved about the narrow floor until she pulled back a thin curtain at the end of the runway. Ginger stepped into her workshop and marveled at the space before her. The walls were lined in every inch with wooden cabinets, each one sealed shut in their place. Beneath them were two wooden worktables, one covered in papers scribbled with compositions or designs and the other covered with metallic contraptions and toys splattered with bright paint colors.

Ginger smiled at each one of her creations as she walked past them. It wouldn't be long before they were completed and she could give them to her people. She could only imagine how much joy the children would feel when they watched the whirligig fly above them or the crowds laughing at the Polichinelles' newest song. The Land of Amusements had always been the happiest of the Four Realms.

The recent years had broken Ginger's heart when she was the only one left to enjoy her treasures. Her people had no longer seen her as their caregiver but as a selfish monster instead, leaving her to live alone in banishment. But times were changing. The Land of Amusements had been reinstated as a realm, Ginger was its regent once more, and her people had returned and would often beg to receive her newest creation. If her plan was a success, everything might stay that way. But it all depended on what she was looking for.

Ginger reached the end of the workshop and tucked herself into a corner on the left side of the room. She faced the end of one row of cabinets and reached her hand up to feel the smooth wood against her fingers. When she felt one portion sink in against her index finger, she pulled herself back.

A small circle pressed back into the wood then popped out to become a doorknob. Ginger wrapped her hand around it then stared at the new door, taking a deep breath. With a nod, she turned the knob and pulled the door out before her.

Ginger felt her heart stop when she saw the treasure that lay before her inside. Tucked into the secret cabinet was a porcelain doll that was the size of Ginger's chest. Her pink hair styled in a swirling up-do was of the same material, but her purple dress with a sparkled bodice and skirt layered in a speckled pattern was made of real fabric. The doll's skin was pure white, and her face contained wide eyes and pursed lips, forever stuck in a state of shock.

Ginger wrapped her hand around the doll and pulled it out, placing her feet in her palm. Her heart sank the longer she looked at the lifeless toy before her. While her return to her rightful place had been wonderful, an empty pit resided within Ginger at every waking moment. Everyone said that things had returned to the way they were, but they hadn't. There was one essential part missing from it all, and Ginger was the only one that had noticed. How could she not? It was the most important piece to her story.

But the doll she held in her hands was the key to returning it to her. Only then would everything truly be the way they should.

~

Ginger moved through the Main Palace with ease, passing through the halls in stealth. She held the doll in a small sack to her chest, her head moving back and forth with every other step she took. Security had been enhanced in the Palace once Phillip had been appointed Captain of the Guard, so she feared that one wrong move would have her be caught and send everything back into disarray. Luck had appeared to work in her favor, as she hadn't run into one soldier during her trek.

After reaching the end of a long hall, Ginger reached a large passageway that revealed a black and white winding staircase that descended far below. She was swift when traveling down, sure to grab onto the wall with one hand and clutching the sack with another. She soon reached the bottom and entered the Engine Room before her, awed by the towering contraption that stood to the ceiling and the gears equal in size that clanked around the room.

Ginger stood before the Engine and took the doll out of the sack. She placed her on her feet and had her face a ray beam that hung at the top of the machine.

Ginger made her way onto a platform on the other side so she stood before a long control panel of levers and buttons. She then reached into her dress and pulled out a gold key with an intricate design that had been hanging from her neck. Princess Clara had gifted each regent with a key to the Engine so they could all be able to control the machine that gave them life and that no one would ever be shunned from it again. Ginger was grateful to her in that moment for the gift, as it was just what she needed for her plan to work.

She closed her eyes for a moment, keeping the key held out to her, and took a deep breath. When she was ready, she placed the key inside a hole in the panel and gave it a quick turn.

The Engine whirred to life, its gears beginning to spin at a rapid pace. The ray beam aimed itself at the doll, and a small purple light began to glow from it. In an instant, the light grew longer and struck the doll in her place.

She grew taller by the second, and her skin morphed from bright porcelain to pale flesh. Her hair had turned real as well, keeping its swirled shape as it became pink cotton candy. The doll grew until she was human-sized, the shock retained on her face during the transformation. Once it was complete, the ray beam dissipated and the Engine shut off.

Ginger heard the machine stop and pulled the key out, placing it back around her neck. She ran down the platform steps and rushed to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy below, who was no longer a child's plaything and had returned to her flesh and blood form.

Ginger stared at the woman before her in awe, the pit in her heart filling up with excitement at the sight of her. She allowed a smile to cross onto her face and her eyes to tear up, waiting for Sugar Plum to say something, anything to her.

Sugar Plum stumbled back and forth on the platform, adjusting to her new bearings. She held her hands down at her sides, her palms extended to the floor as her feet slid below. The surprise that had been painted on her face remained once she turned around and saw Ginger, making her jump and let out a shrill gasp.

Ginger tried to swallow the lump rising in her throat. She'd waited so long for this moment to arrive. She hadn't anticipated the fear of it being a failure. What if everything fell back into the way things were? The Four Realms were still adjusting to their returned peace. They couldn't fall apart again so soon. But she had to try. She'd made it this far. She simply had to let it out.

"Hello, my dear," Ginger choked out, unable to hold back her smile from stretching wider.

Sugar Plum's mouth formed into a small O, placing her hand close to her neck. After making several raspy breaths, she was able to get out, "Oh. Hello."

Ginger made a quiet sigh to herself. Her voice still sounded like a bird's, high-pitched and chirping with every syllable. It had a childlike quality to it as well, making a person feel nothing but happy whenever they heard it. It was music to her ears.

Trying to hold back her nerves, Ginger asked, "H-How are you feeling?"

"Well...a little befuddled, I'm afraid. It's just that...I've been asleep for so long. But I had the most wonderful dreams. I can't quite remember what they were, but they made me feel like sugar and peppermint and everything jolly."

Ginger's smile had begun to fade, making her crease her eyebrows together. "You mean you don't remember anything from before? Anything at all?" Out of all her planning, she never could have anticipated that.

Sugar Plum shook her head, folding her hands together and pointing them down by her abdomen. "I'm afraid not. I don't even know who you are, but I would love to learn."

Ginger felt a pang strike from within, the kind she felt whenever she had an idea. She knew what to do now with this stroke of luck that had fallen before her. It would take some adjustments to her original plan, but it would still give her the same result.

Ginger extended her hand out to Sugar Plum and let her smile return. "Come with me, my dear. I'll help you remember."

A smile appeared on Sugar Plum's face as well, bringing her to take her hand.

Ginger helped her off the platform and led her out of the Engine Room. They walked in the space between the room and the staircase, making their way towards a quiet area underneath the stairs. Ginger helped Sugar Plum to the floor, bringing them both to sit on their knees. Their dresses swarmed about them and made contact, and they placed their hands in their laps.

Never taking her eyes off the woman, Ginger said, "Now tell me everything you recall from these dreams of yours."

Sugar Plum's mouth crinkled. "I'm afraid it isn't much. I do know very basic things about myself. I'm the Sugar Plum Fairy, regent of the Land of Sweets, and I serve under Queen Marie Stahlbaum. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's correct. What else?"

Sugar Plum turned her head away and whimpered. "There is nothing else. That's all I know."

Ginger's heart broke when she realized how empty the woman had become in her return. She had no idea that being a toy for so long made a person forget the joys of being alive. But a small part of her was relieved to find that the heartache was forgotten as well.

Ginger said, "I can help fill in the gaps of your story, if you like."

Sugar Plum's smile returned, and she pat her dress down like a child eager to hear a bedtime story. "Oh yes, please! I'd love to hear all about it."

Ginger chuckled to herself. "Alright." She took a deep breath and let her fears fall away as she prepared to relive their story for her.

"I am Mother Ginger, regent of the Land of Amusements."

"Amusements?" Sugar Plum gasped. "Do you mean with clowns and toys and games?"

"Yes, all things that can bring joy to others. And you may call me Ginger."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ginger. You may call me Sugar Plum."

Ginger bent her head down for a moment. "You see, we've actually met before, Sugar Plum. We've known each other for a very long time. We were brought to life by Marie at the same time, so we've been together since the beginning of the Realms. But we became so much more."

Ginger closed her eyes and let the memories begin to flood through her. She then opened them and explained, "We were lovers, you and I. We always met up with one another when the day was through and would spend hours talking about what went on. We shared a bed each night and slept against each other's chests. I was the first person to ask you to dance at balls, and you always danced with me the longest. You gave me the ideas for some of my best work, and I would taste your latest confections. We had the best of times together."

Ginger felt herself tearing up but forced herself to hold them back for a little longer. "You had a very large heart back then. Some might say it was too large. I would see you flirting with the soldiers at balls and clinging to Marie at every moment of the day. Sometimes, you spent more time with her than you did with me.

“But I didn't mind. I may have felt hurt by this time and again, but it never lasted long. Because you always returned to me at the end of the day. No matter what, we were together when night fell over the Realms. And that told me you would always love me the most and that your heart truly belonged to me."

Ginger scrunched up her face when she realized what had to be said next. But she couldn't hold the truth back. Sugar Plum needed it to decide how she wanted to move forward.

"But one day, Marie left the Realms to return to her world...and she never came back. In her time away, you became angry. You were clouded by sadness and fury at the loss of our queen. So you decided that you would try to become the new queen of the Realms. I tried to tell you over and over again that it couldn't happen, but you didn't listen.

“Finally, you couldn't ignore me any longer. You grew tired of hearing me, so you banished me. You...You told everyone that it was me who was trying to become queen and that I wanted to control everyone to do my bidding. You were quite charismatic about it, my dear, so everyone believed you in an instant. When...When I saw the hate in your eyes when you banished me...I knew then that our love was no more."

A small tear slid down Ginger's cheek as she lowered her head. The image of her beloved's sneer was forever sealed in her brain and had haunted her for years in isolation. Seeing it again and reliving it made her body shiver in fear.

She was brought back to reality by a hand squeezing against hers. Ginger looked up and saw Sugar Plum's blank face looking at her now. There wasn't a hint of malice on it, instead covered in cautious curiosity. As she wiped at her cheek, Ginger cleared her throat and continued her story.

"Years passed before change was made in the Realms. There was one day when Marie's daughter discovered our world for the first time."

Sugar Plum made a loud gasp. "Marie has a daughter?"

"Oh yes. She's a lovely girl." Ginger's smile returned at the thought of the princess. "Her name is Princess Clara. She has a brilliant mind and looks just like Marie did at her age. She's also very brave. But she had a key in her possession. It was the key that controls the Engine in there, the machine that brings toys to life. It's...It's how I brought you back."

Ginger shook her head to herself. She was getting too far ahead in the story. She had to stay on track.

"You tricked Clara into stealing the key from me and giving it to you. And once you had it, you had full control of the Engine. You brought toy soldiers to life and tried to use them to destroy me and Clara and to take over the Realms. But Clara and I's quick thinking helped us stop your plan. We were able to use the Engine to turn you back into a doll, where you couldn't harm anyone.

“Peace was restored, and I became a regent again. Clara entrusted me with you, so I locked you in my own palace. But...But I've missed you so, Sugar Plum. I missed the you I had fallen in love with so long ago. I needed to see you again and find out if you were still there somewhere. No one else understood my pain, so I had to heal it myself. I brought you here to the Engine and used the key to bring you back to life. And well...that's all you need to know, my dear."

Sugar Plum had listened to Ginger's story with an attentive ear and felt her body tense up the longer she continued it. The happiness she had felt was replaced by fear and she almost wanted to cry at her feet.

"Oh, this is..." she breathed, "I...I didn't know I was so cruel." Her voice broke upon saying it, making her all the more afraid of herself. "Wh-Why...How could this have happened?"

"I've thought about it for some time myself. And I feel that it had to do with your love of Marie. You see, you always loved her in a similar way that you loved me. I know you did. But Marie didn't feel that way about you. She had a family of her own. She loved another. But you tried to ignore that. You continued to live as though there was hope for the two of you.

“And when Marie never came back...well, that was when you realized the truth. You felt that she had abandoned you and that she never did love you in the first place. So you wanted to be the one that gave everyone the love you thought she no longer had for us. You had good intentions, Sugar Plum. You simply let your emotions guide you rather than the truth."

Sugar Plum couldn't deny how hurt she felt inside at having learned her identity. But there was a sense of ease beginning to fill her the longer Ginger spoke.

Allowing a smile to appear on her face, she said, "You're very wise, Ginger. And I can tell that I like you very much for it. And it's odd. In all the haze I possessed when I was asleep, I still felt warm through it all. I never really understood why, but I do now. It was because of you. There was a part of me that remembered our love and wanted to be with you to feel it again. You made me feel safe when I was asleep. And I know it was you because it's exactly how I feel right now being here with you."

Relief coursed through Ginger when she heard Sugar Plum's words. She'd waited so long to hear her say she still loved her and it had been worth every minute.

Sugar Plum bit her lip as she looked away for a moment. When she returned to her beloved's gaze, she said, "Ginger, I'm frightened of the Sugar Plum I once was. I don't want to be like that ever again. Not to you, not to Clara, not to my people. Will you...Will you help me to not become that monster again? Will you take me back?"

Ginger took Sugar Plum's hands into hers and never took her eyes away from her face. Squeezing her hands, she breathed, "Always."

Unable to hold themselves back any longer, the two leaned in and kissed for as long as they could. Ginger could taste the candy on her beloved's lips, savoring each sweet treat that traveled onto her own and making it hers. It was her favorite taste in the world and she would be happy to have it be the only thing she ate for the rest of her life.

Once they pulled back, Ginger began to create a new plan in her head. It would be her greatest creation yet.

Keeping her gaze on Sugar Plum and her hands in hers, she declared, "Let's go tell the others."


End file.
